Cooling

[25seaforth]

Hi folks,
I have a little cooling problem and wondered if anyone can help.
I have just bought a small rib with a Suzuki DF50 on it. I decided to do a full service including new impeller as I thought it wasn’t peeing a lot of water plus the amount is kind of intermittent.
The impeller I took out was really quite good but I fitted the new one anyway. I have just tried it and it is no better at peeing water, I then noticed that there is a lot of water coming out the two holes at the back of the bearing housing ie. nearest the transom.
The only thing I did different was put a seal in the top of the impeller house where the shaft goes through as there wasn’t one there when I took the lower unit off.
I was testing it in a barrel full of water.
Thank you.

[Murray]

A couple of questions. Was the water level in the barrel high enough to fully submerge the water pump? Did you change out the impeller only or did you do a complete water pump kit? Salt water engine? Did you turn the drive shaft clockwise to seat the impeller in the housing? Why I ask the complete water pump kit is sometimes the base plate will be warped thus allowing some water to bypass the impeller so your impeller is not pumping at 100%. Not sure about the statement “I then noticed that there is a lot of water coming out the two holes at the back of the bearing housing ie. nearest the transom”. I know when you pull the boat out of the water, or tilt the engine up the water drains from the lower unit. To my understanding the entire water pump has to be completely submerged for it to work at 100%, when you lift the engine thats the water you see draining, I wonder if the water you see coming out the holes at the back is because you don’t have enough water in the barrel?

[25seaforth]

The barrel was full with the water half way up the leg about a foot above the intake.the two holes are at the back of the plate nearest the boat that the pump housing is bolted to. I did use the full kit.
looking back through posts the only thing I see that could be relevant is what I think they call a water relief valve stuck open ! I don’t even know where that is , I’ll check the manual. I tried the airline down the pee hole and it blows water out the intake grills. I’ll try it deeper in the water tomorrow though.
thanks for your help Murray.

[25seaforth]

Oh and salt water engine.

[Murray]

People have has success using stiff weed wacker cord to dislodge insect nests that have moved into the telltale line if thats your issue.(with engine running) Salt water can cause mineral deposits to build up in the water galleries but you haven’t mentioned any overheating or alarms. Some members have had issues running in a barrel that seem to clear up once on the water. While out on the water pay attention to any overheating issues, I’m assuming you have the Suzuki warning system on the tachometer or a warning light on the tiller if so equipped?

[25seaforth]

I do have the warning system on the tacho yes. And no temp warnings although I haven’t run it for long. I have yet to run her in the water and was just trying to get everything to my satisfaction before I did. I’ll try it deeper in the barrel today and if that doesn’t help I’ll try it in the water when we have some better weather here. Cold and snowy at the moment.

[25seaforth]

Sorted Murray , when I took the little plug with the pee hole in it I noticed a little black ball in the main bit where the plug goes in ! I eventually got it out and it was like an oblong piece of silicone or similar ! I think the reason it was intermittent was that it was moving up towards the pee hole and nearly blocking it off. How on earth it got there god alone knows. Didn’t look like a bit of impeller and it looked as if it had been there for a while.
again many thanks for your help,. All the best Stan.